Upholstery for baby-carriages



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R. P. H. WILLIAMS. UPHOLSTERY FOR BABY UARRIAGES.

7 No. 535,748; 'Patentegg M51. 12, 1895.

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UPHOLSTERY FOE BABY GARRIAGES.

No. 535,748. Patented Mar. 12,1895.

m zkwm arts STATES.

ATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT F. H. WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

UPHOLSTERY FOR BABY-CARRlAG ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,748, dated March12, 1895.

Application filed April 22, 1892. Renewed August 15, 1894. Serial No.520,396. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT F. H. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inUpholstery or Linings for Baby or other Carriages and Similar Articles,of which the following is a specification.

The interior upholstery of baby carriages as heretofore constructed andarranged has been either of a permanent character, that is, mounted upona rigid backing which has formed a part of the carriage body or beenpermanently affixed thereto,or else it has consisted of cushions orpillows looselyhnng or arranged within the carriage.

The upholstery heretofore employed has been difficult to put in place inthe carriage and has been objectionable,because liable to affordlodgment for foreign matters and insects, and further because when madeof plush or similar pile or woolen fabrics, has been found undesirablefor use in warm weather. The loosely hung cushions have beenobjectionable because liable to displacement to the discomfort of theoccupant of the carriage. They are moreover incapable of retaining theiroriginal shape and uniformity, and are liable to be removed from thecarriage and lost.

It is the object of my invention to provide a removable and reversibleupholstery lining for a carriage, which shall be of sectional 00nstruction and permit access to each of its j oints,-be capable of easyapplication to and removal from a carriage, so that a consumer inpurchasing a carriage may have any selected one of a number ofupholstery linings in stock applied to the carriage purchased, saidlining having two faces, either of which, as preferred, may be exposedwhile the other is concealed from view, one of said faces beingformed'of material adapted for use in warm and the other of materialadapted for use in cold, weather. The lining is preferably con-lstructed upon afoundation or backing of wood or other material adaptedto give solidity and permanence to the whole. A carriage liningembodying these structural characteristics may be kept free from dustand foreign matters,-and it enables the dealer to carry a smaller numberof carriages in stock than has heretofore been necessary. It moreoverhas all the advantages of permanent upholstery and of removablecushions.

In the drawingslshow and herein I describe a good form of a convenientembodiment of my invention, the particular subject matter claimed asnovel being hereinafter definitely set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is acentral longitudinal vertical sectionalelevation of a carriage provided with my improvements, section beingtaken 011 the line woc of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalsectional elevation of the same, section being taken on the line y y ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of one of the side panels. Fig.tie a view in perspective of the back panel. Fig. 5 is a view inperspective of the seat, the parts being separated to exhibitconstruction. Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the protective sheetswhich I prefer to employ.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts.

In the drawings, A is the carriage body, happening to be formed ofwickerwork,and which is of a usual general form or arrangement, at beingthe back, a the right arm, a

the left arm, and a the front of said body, the upper edge of the backand arms being provided with a sill B projecting somewhat into theinterior of the carriage.

Generally stated my invention comprehends the provision of double facedpanels, adapted to fit neatly within the interior of the carriage and toeach other, and provided with suitable fittings by which they may belocked in position.

O is the back panel and D D the side panels,-the dimensions of all ofwhich will be governed by the size of the carriage to which they areapplied. The back panel as to its upper end fits snugly against thesill, and as to its lower end is in contact with the floor.

In breadth said panel is as to its upper portion co-extensive with thebreadth'of the carriage back, and as to its lower portion is pref erablynarrowed sufficiently to afford space to receive the side panels. Theside panels are counterparts and each as to its upper and front edgesfits snugly against the sill B, and as to its lower edge is in contactwith the floor. The inner ends of the side panels conveniently fit intothe spaces between the respective edges of the lower part of the backpanel and the side arms of the carriage body. Each panel preferablyembodies, as a foundation, a board or rigid plate, of appropriateconfiguration, which serves to impart rigidity to the panel itself andto allow of its being conveniently secured in position.

I prefer to form upon one side of each panel a padded or cushionedsurface consisting of any usual filling material inclosed by anornamental cover of woolen or pile faced fabric and upon the other sideof each a hard or slightly cushioned surface of cotton or linenfabric,the former surface beingexposed for use in colder and the latterin warmer weather.

When it is desired to change the panels from one arrangement to theother, the three are taken out, and the back reversed and replaced inposition. The side panels,however, owing to their irregular outline,cannot be reversed and returned each to the arm from which it was taken,but I have discovered that notwithstanding such irregularity, the twosimilar faces of the respective side panels which are concealed when thepanels are in one position may, by the expedient of interchanging saidpanels from one arm to the other, both be brought to the front, and thetwo similar faces originally in view be concealed.

In addition to the mutual support which the panels receive by theprojection of the inner ends of the side panels into suitable spacesbetween the edges of the back panel and the sides of the carriage body,I prefer to secure each panel in position by providing it with one ormore studs or projections e depending from its lower end and adapted totake into a suitably disposed socket, or sockets, in the floor of thecarriage. Other supports may of course be employed in lieu of or inaddition to the support described. Thus for example I show as mountedupon the still upon the back of the carriage and each arm thereof asmall catchfwhich extends inward across the edge of the panel, andengages with said edge. Thus, too, resort may be had to beads g securedto the floor of the carriage and extending along the same on one or bothof the sides of the lower edge of the panels.

The projection or overhanging of the sill, to which the edges of thepanels are engaged, support the body of the panels in such position andsufficiently clear of the wall of the carriage as to afford adequatespace for the thickness of the cushioned sides of the panels when saidsides are turned toward the wall or out of view. If desired this spacethus taken up by the panels maybe compensated for by constructing thecarriage from the back to the front portion of the arms of greater widththan the remainder of the body.

In connection with the reversible lining, and especially when the sameis used with a wicker work or skeletonized carriage body, I prefer toemploy means by which that face of the lining which is turned toward thewall is both protected from the weather and prevented from showingthrough the interstices of the carriage body. The means which I preferto employ consist of three protective sheets of pasteboard or othermaterial suitably colored or provided with a covering of suitable color,one of which sheets, h, fits behind the back panel and beneath theoverhanging sill, and the other two of which i, fit against the sidearms of the carriage and beneath said sill. These sheets placed betweenthe respective panels and the wall of the carriage body are of courseretained in position by said panels. Being removable at will, and easilyreplaced when worn out, they not only enable the carriage frame work tobe kept entirely clear of dust and dirt, but by being replaced whensomewhat worn enable the sightliness and freshness of the carriage to bemaintained at a nominal cost.

J is a reversible seat, the same consisting of a framej of wood or othermaterial, within which a cushion J formed upon a suitable flat frameworkthe two faces of which are upholstered to match the respective faces ofthe panels of the carriage, is mounted upon trunnions j for support.When the carriage linings are reversed the seat is also taken out of thecarriage, a pin 7' by which the cushion is steadied in its frameremoved, the seat swung upon its trunnions to bring its other sideuppermost, and the pin 3' replaced.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A childs carriage orsimilar article, provided with a removable double faced lining, formedin independent sections upon rigid frames or backs, substantially as setforth.

2. In combination with a childs carriage or similar article, a panelremovably fitted to the interior of the same, double faced and rigid,and means for retaining said panel in position, substantially as setforth.

3. In combination with a childs carriage or similar article, a panelremovably fitted to the back of the same, double faced and rigid, and astud taking into a stud recess by which said panel is supported inposition, substan tially as set forth.

4.. In combination with a childs carriage or similar article the wall ofwhich is provided with a sill, a double faced and rigid panel removablyfitted against said sill, and a catch by which said panel is secured inposition, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a childs carriage or similar article the wall ofwhich is provided with a sill, a double faced and rigid panel removablyfitted against said sill, and a bead secured to the floor of thecarriage and extending along the edge of said panel, substantially asset forth.

6. In combination with a childs carriage or similar article the wall ofwhich is provided with a sill, a double faced and rigid panel removablyfitted against said sill, a catch engaging with said panel, and a studby which the lower edge of the panel engages with the floor of thecarriage, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination with a childs carriage having a back and side armsequipped with a sill, three double faced and rigid panels, re-

' movably fitted within the carriage against the plied to the back andone to each arm of the carriage body, a series of protective sheetsapplied between the said panels and the adjacent walls of the carriagebody, substantially as set forth.

10. As an article of manufacture, a seat for a childs carriage,consisting of a frame and a double faced cushion mounted in said frame,as set forth.

11. As an article of manufacture, a seat for a childs carriage,consisting of a frame, and a double faced cushion swiveled in saidframe, substantially as set forth.

12. As an article of manufacture, a seat for a childs carriage,consisting of a frame, a double faced cushion swiveled in said frame,and means for locking the cushion in either position of adjustment,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereuntosigned my name this 11th day of April, A; D. 1892.

ROBERT F. H. WILLIAMS.

In presence of-- F. NORMAN DIXON, R. M. RUSSELL.

